Cuff link



C. S. MARIEN Aug. 4, 1959 'CUFF LINK Filed July 11, 1956 INVENTOR.

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CUFF LINK Clement S. Marien, Attleboro, Mass., assignor to Swank, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application July 11, 1956, Serial No. 597,113 2Claims. or. 24-97 The invention relates to'a jewelry article for personal wear having a portion'ofthe structure thereof normally hidden from view when in use.

A jewelry article having the above characteristic usually has a orti'onwhich is normally considered the front or the obverse side of the article and some attaching means which is normallyhidden from view by the portion of the garment of the wearer on which the article may be attached as by way of example, cuff links, tie holder clasp and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a jewelry article of the above character so constructed as to provide a front side portion having spaced ornamental features one of which has an illusory effect of being held in suspension relative to the other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a jewelry article wherein two front portions thereof will appear unconnected from each other when the article is in use.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a cuff link having a plurality of interconnected elements disposed at the front of the link which when attached to the cuffs of the wearer will appear to be unconnected one with the other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cuff link having a two element disposed at the front of the link one positioned Within the other and connected in such a manner so as to create the illusory effect of the inner one being held in suspension relative to the other.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a cuff link embodying my invention and shown attached to a sleeve cuff;

Figure 2 is a front View of the cuff link shown in Figure 1 drawn on a larger scale;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified cuff link;

Figure 5 is a front view of the link shown in Figure 4 drawn on a larger scale;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 66 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a further modification of cuff link;

Figure 8 is a side view of the link shown in Figure 7 drawn on a larger scale;

Figure 9 is a side view of a further modification of cuff link; and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially along line 1010 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown as by way of illustration, the invention embodied in a so called cuff link which is employed for detachably securing the edges of a shirt sleeve cufl together in the known manner. The link 10 is generally U or V-shaped these terms being 2 equivalenflp'rovidingopposite members or arms 11 and 12 which are joined by 'agenerally curvedbight or bridge 13. The members 11 and 12 are adapted to receive therebetweenthe meeting edges of the cuff c. A post indicated generally 14"isattached to the member 12 and projects therefrom through the button holes of the cuff. The member 'll-isthefront of the link and isusually madeof a pleasing shape and/ orembellished. The front member l'lmaytake any-of various shapes. As shown in Figures land 2, it is a general inverted triangle having an op'encenter 15'forming a frame having sides 16 converging toward the bridge 13. The post 14 ofFigure 3 is tubular and one end is slotted so as to provide opposite walls portions for pivotally attaching thesaineto the boss 21 of member 12 by pivot pin 17. Thepost 14 carries a head 18 at the "other end which is of a size to be passed with the post '14 through the button'holes in the cuff. The meetingedges of the cufi ar'e held secured between said head and member 12 and further held tied "by 'the'front member 11 extending over the same side of th'e culf as 'thatof the'head 18. p

A coil compression spring 19 is arranged within the post 14 to bear against a plunger 20 which in turn engages against a boss 21 through which extends the pivot 17. Thus, the post 14 is spring biased to be held in the position shown in full lines and at the position shown in broken lines, these two positions may be referred to as the closed and open positions of the link, respectively. In the closed or full line position of the link, the post projects at nearly a right angle from member 12 a distance so as to position the head 18 within the open center 15 and substantially in the plane of the sides of member 11. However, in some instances the particular contour of the head 18 may be such as to extend beyond the plane of the sides of member 11 as indicated in broken lines at Figure 3. The head 18 is made in the form of an ornament and may take any of various shapes and may be a presentation or simulation of such things as animal characters, sport objects and the like. In the present instance the head 18 to be herein after referred to as an ornament is in the form of an identification plate having a character of the alphabet thereon and having a periphery similar to that of the front member 11 but much smaller so as to provide a substantial spacing thereof from the inner sides of member 11.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that when the link is in position on the cuff no visible connection is seen between the ornament 18 and member 11. The cuff is exposed in the space between the sides of member 11 and the ornament 18. Thus, the ornament 18 will be completely surrounded by the portion C of the cuff. Thus, there is produced an illusory effect having relatively great depth and the ornament appearing to be held in suspension in the center 15 at the front of the link.

In Figures 4 and 6 I have shown member 11' made as an open oval shape connected to member 12 by bridge 13. The member 12' is of less length than member 12 and is provided with a pivoted tubular extension 25 within which is arranged a coil spring 19 which engages against a plunger 20' in turn bearing against the end of member 12. The post 14' projects from the extension 25 and carries the ornament 18' which when the link is in closed position is positioned centrally within the oval front 11; the spring 19' biasing the post 14' to the open and closed position as above described. It will be seen in Figure 4 that the suspension effect is likewise produced in the form of the link shown in these later Figures 4, 5 and 6.

In Figures 7 and 8 there is shown a further modification in which the member 11" is made in a shape to simulate a wish bone or Y, within the branches 16" of o v 2,897,562 K 3 t which the ornament'18" is positioned. The remaining structure is similar to that shown in Figure 3.

In Figure 9 there is shown a further modification wherein the member 11" is made of a much shorter length than member ll and the ornament 18" is positioned at a substantial distance from the adjacent end of the member 11'; Y1

It will .be apparent in all of the different structures shown that at least a portion'of the front of thecufl link will extend along the margin of the meetingedges of cuff c at the side of the cufi on which is exposed-the ornament 18. Thus, the illusory effect above described is present in each of the modified structures shown. That is, the ornament and the front of the link are separate of each other with no visible connection therebetween and said ornament appears to be held in a suspended relation to that portion of the link appearing on the same surface of the cuff.

I claim:

1. A cuff link for a shirt sleeve having button holes at the meeting edge thereof comprising a substantially V-shaped member, the opposite arms of which are adapted to extend over the opposite edges of the cufi, one of the arms provided with a flat head having an open center to register with a button hole in one edge of the cutf, a post hingedly attached at one end to the other arm, a

a 4 flat head at the other end of the post, said post and its head being adapted to pass through the button holes of the cuif, said post being of a length to position its head in the same plane with the head of the one arm, the head on the post being of a size to nest within the open center of the fiat head and be completely spaced therefrom and means at the hinge connected to the other arm and completely independent of the one arm to selectively hold said heads in nesting'relation or permit said post to move into a position in substantial alignment with the arm to which it is pivoted and beyond the end of said arm for passing through said button holes.

2. A cufi link as in claim 1 wherein the first said head is an open frame completely encircling the head on the post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,267,684 Kreisler et a1. Dec. 23, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 44,075 Australia Sept. 26, 1910 OTHER REFERENCES Mens Wear, August 27, 1954, page 17. 

